Lysine residues of porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase (PPA) were modified with trinitrobenzenesulfonate (TNBS). 6 out of 21 lysine residues were modified per PPA molecule. Amylase activity (hydrolysis of the alpha-1,4-D-glucoside bond) was decreased to about 50% of the native enzyme, as judged from the kcat value at pH 6.9 after the modification, whereas maltosidase activity (hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-maltoside producing p-nitrophenol and maltose) was increased to about 250%. The increase in maltosidase activity of the modified PPA was due to the increase in kcat, but not to the decrease in Km. Modification of PPA with five kinds of acid anhydrides also caused the same effect as TNBS, including the number of modified lysine residues. The degree of increase in maltosidase activity was fairly proportional to the volume of the incorporated modification reagent. A modification protection study in the presence of maltotriitol (G3OH), which protected two out of six modifiable lysine residues against modification, suggested that a lysine residue at the substrate-binding site contributes to the change of substrate specificity.